Time Magazine - Michelle Rhee

Source: TIME, Washington Post

Look who's on the cover of the latest issue of TIME: D.C. school chief Michelle Rhee, who's best known for her unconventional and sometimes controversial approach to school reform.

For example, she's always battling the Washington Teachers' Union for more power to fire teachers she deems ineffective and giving the good ones six-figure salaries. Some alleged that the firing process was not transparent and fair.

She even fired her own kid's principal :)

She's also committed to shut down almost two dozen schools in what she calls D.C.'s decrepit, shrinking, public-education system.

Shanghai’s Real “Pig Cage Stronghold”

Source: chinaSMACK

The “Pig Cage Stronghold” in “Kung Fu Hustle” is a building that surrounds a courtyard. In this small little courtyard, people do everything, and many generations live together. This here is Shanghai’s real “Pig Cage Stronghold”– Longchang Apartments on 362 Longchang Road. It is very characteristic!





Life in the “Pig Cage Stronghold” remained the same for several decades after the establishment of the new China. However, it is no longer called “Pig Cage Stronghold”, and is now called “Tongzilou”: a building with a long corridor with balconies on one side and uniform single-roomed apartments on the other. The corridors/hallways are shared, the balconies are open, and the apartments do not have kitchens or bathrooms. The people who live here are employees of state-owned enterprises, singles get one room, while those with families get two rooms, and not far is a kitchen.

The doors are across from the balconies and the balconies are the length of each room. People hang their washed clothes to dry around the balconies as well as placing potted flowers and plants, and are careful not to infringe one inch upon their neighbor’s boundaries. These are all unwritten rules, because there is a shortage of private and public space, and everyone will fight for it.

The public toilet is overcrowded, and , and peeking incidents easily happen. Whatever a neighbor eats today, whatever guests come, whatever nice things are purchased, whatever happens are all things that cannot be hidden [from others]. Children crying or screaming from being punished or scolded, and two people quarreling are daily sounds, like listening to popular music.


--

For the complete set of pictures, go to chinaSMACK.

Trailer Kung Fu Hustle:

Taxi Strike

Source: BBC

Taxi drivers have gone on strike in the southern city of Chaozhou, the latest in a wave of protests across China.

Drivers say they are angry that nothing has been done about unlicensed cabs operating in their city.

The industrial action follows strikes in other cities that turned violent before officials bowed to irate drivers' demands.
Earlier this week, about 100 drivers threw bricks at unlicensed taxis in the province capital Guangzhou.

Drivers elsewhere in China have taken similar action this month, damaging at least 20 vehicles, including three police cars, in Chongqing and attacking 15 cars in Sanya.

Cool! Not like in North American where a strike is peaceful and the most you can really do is hold up picket signs. In China they're destroying the opposition and police! Awesome!

The solution is simple. Hello Kitty Taxis :)

Asian Drama and Anime Channel

I found this wonderful Asian Drama and Anime Channel on justin.tv

Watch live video from Asian Dramas and Anime on Justin.tv

They've been showing Gokusen all day. I've been watching for a couple hours already! :)

Asian Ripoff XIII - 3 Languages

One of my favorite songs as a kid. You know the song is famous when it's translated into three Asian languages! Chinese is missing though!

Toooooooooooombe La Neeeeeeeige!

Japanese:



Korean:



Vietnamese:

Movie Reviews - November 28, 2008

A new feature on Degenerasian will be weekly Asian movie reviews from LoveHKFilm.com

November 28, 2008

Ballistic (HK)
Parking (HK)
Desert Dream (China)
Baby and I (Korea)

If you've seen any of these movies or have an interest in seeing them in the future. Please add your opinions in the comments.

Bollywood films enter a brave, gay world

Source: straight.com

With giddily risky films like Dostana, South Asian film enters a brave, gay world.

Yes, there’s a full man-on-man kiss in the Bollywood buddy comedy Dostana by metrosexual director Tarun Mansukhani. And amidst the cheese (flaming queens, effeminate affectations), there’s a huge side of beef (John Abraham of Water) who flaunts his physique at the drop of a hat. Or his shirt. Heterosexual male gaze be damned—oye hoye hoye!

Homosexuality is still illegal in India so it will be very interesting to see how this movie does.

Samsung's new touchscreen LCDs for your public smudging

Source: Engadget

The new touchscreen from Samsung. It's part of its new TS series of Magicinfo LCDs targeting businesses and digital advertising markets. The LCD panels measure 32-, 40-, 46-, 70-, and 82-inches and can be linked together to form a massive touch experience.

Men: Lots of things to touch here!

Mumbai Attacks: A Video Timeline

Source: Mashable

I haven't posted much about the Mumbai attacks because I don't really know where to start or where to end. The best I can present to you in this timeline. Press "View in Dipity" to go the the website and see the timeline in full

The horrendous attacks in Mumbai, while covered extensively by mainstream news outlets, have also been credited as another landmark moment for social media sites like Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. CNN called the Mumbai attacks Twitter’s “coming of age“, while one Flickr photoset has received in excess of 70,000 views.

How to make sense of the outpouring of social media from Mumbai? Social timeline Dipity has just served up a particularly useful account tracking how events unfolded, pulling together news stories and YouTube videos and posting them along a timeline (embedded above).

Some things to try while playing with the above widget:

1. In Timeline View, click on the first bubble, then continue hitting “next event” for the easiest navigation.

2. Hit the Flipbook View, then click on the far right of the timeline to flick through the events of the most recent attack (the Mumbai timeline goes right back to 2001)

3. Click List View for the simplest representation of the data - a list of the videos in reverse chronological order

4. Click Map View to see videos plotted on a map (largely useless in the Mumbai case, but a good Dipity feature)

Dipity is imperfect, for sure: you can quickly lose your place while navigating the timeline. And yet, there is so much social media content created during world events that new ways to view and navigate that data are becoming invaluable. Perhaps even more telling: use cases like these are helping social media to shake off its stigma of being a tool for narcissists or a wasteland filled with life’s minutiae.

Illegal Immigrants

Source: Alpha Asian



In honor of Thanksgiving, Asian American sketch comedy troupe 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors takes at look at the same problems we face today, except 500 years ago!

Happy Thanksgiving to all you USians!

Sapporo Beer's 'Image Girl' for 2009 chosen

Source: Japan Today

TOKYO — Model Miyuki, 25, has been chosen as Sapporo Beer’s Image Girl for 2009. Miyuki made her debut at an event held this week at the Yebisu Beer Musuem. Miyuki is 169 cm tall, and has measurements of 83-59-86.

“We always drink Yebisu at home in Gifu,” she said. “I like beer and I’m studying to get my qualification as a beer adviser.”

Miyuki also expressed her aspiration to become an actress. “I hope to become an actress with individual flair like Hiromi Nagasaku or Eri Fukatsu.”

There are three problems with this selection:

1) An apron? How can you sell beer wearing an apron?
2) 83 is way to small of a bust to be selling anything. That must be why she's wearing an apron.
3) “I like beer and I’m studying to get my qualification as a beer adviser.” WHAT?

Whatever happened to busty, bikini-clad babes selling beer?
Sapporo Beer has really gone downhill I believe.

Asian Ripoff XII

Language: Cantonese
Artist: Eddie Ng



YOU GEEEEEEEEVE LOVE A BAAAAAAAD NAME :)

Karaoke Cabbie

Source: Ananova

A Chinese taxi driver says business is booming since he installed a karaoke machine in his cab for customers.

Fan Xiaoming spent £600 on three flat screens, 16 speakers, amplifiers and disco lights, reports New Culture Daily.

That's such an innovative way to attract more passengers. I think the cabbie is most likely earning more than an average taxi driver. How much is a cab ride in China anyways? It can't be too expensive. £600 is alot in China!

I'm amazed his doesn't get distracted. If I was his singing passenger, he'd crash.

Taiwan To Shop Through The Blues

Source: BBC

Shoppers in Taiwan will be handed more than $100 in redeemable vouchers in a government bid to beat the global credit crisis.

I want a voucher!!!!!

Sexuality Has Little To Do With Dressing

Source: New Straits Times

Can you tell a person's sexuality by the way he or she dresses?

Shiraz (pictured above), 43, who's been happily married for 18 years and is a doting mother of two beautiful girls, is a New Straits Times Press photographer.

A big part of her wardrobe is made up of shirts and pants.
"Dressing like this is just more convenient. As a photographer, I sometimes have to climb up to high places or get wedged in tight spots just to get that perfect picture.

But Muslim women like Shiraz may soon lose their freedom to dress as the National Fatwa Council has ruled that tomboyish behaviour is forbidden in Islam.

That's a rather unusual ruling. Islam does technically require most of the body to be covered, but it doesn't specify how and it doesn't prescribe a punishment for not covering up.

So how can the judge get away with such a ruling and how they assume that dressing like a boy means homosexuality.

Tomboyish behaviour is forbidden in Islam

Really? I'd like to see what the definition of tomboyish is. Perhaps purposely acting like the opposite sex is frowned upon but I don't think that's what tomboyish means.

There are too many assumptions in this ruling and once again they're using Islam to hide behind and by interpreting it incorrectly, it casts a bad light on the religion as a whole.

Asian Ripoff XI

Language: Japanese
Artist: Hitomi Shimatani

Not sure how she got butterfly out of the meaning of this song but here you go :)

Venezuela & Vietnam Presidents Toast Superiority of Communism over Capitalism

Source: Latin American Herald Tribune

CARACAS -- Venezuela and Vietnam signed 15 industrial, energy and cooperation accords during the first visit ever by a Vietnamese president to Caracas.

The pacts were signed at Miraflores Palace in the presence of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Vietnam's Nguyen Minh Triet.

Where's a terrorist attack when you need one. Can't we carpet bomb these two?

Akiba Cow Girls

Source: DannyChoo

Instead of maids there are now cowgirls in Japan?

Ha ha ha! Hoooome on the Kansai plaiiiiin ... where the tanuki and samuraaaiii plaaayyy!

The Best Way to Introduce a New Hamburger in Japan

Source: Media Transparent

A new black and red storefront opens up in Shibuya, one of Tokyo’s trendiest neighborhoods, with no description beyond the words “Quarter Pounder” in front. Inside the menu offers only two items: the Quarter Pounder and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

In Japan, the “Quarter Pounder” doesn’t exist (portions in Japan are much smaller than in “SuperSizeMe” US). My Tokyo-born wife, who has lived here in the US over 16 years did not know that the Quarter Pounder was a McDonald’s brand name.

So, to Japanese, this mysterious store didn’t seem to be associated with McDonalds, the largest American fast food chain in Japan. Instead, Tokyo’s hyper - cell phone culture buzzed up this unusual store with only two menu items. It’s pretty easy for Japanese youth to target a shop enmasse when they are all texting each other looking for a place to meet and eat.

The revelation didn’t seem to disappoint the consumer (as it potentially might in the US as a devious marketing trick), because McDonalds Japan then announced they would be closing the experimental shop some time before the end of the year. Now the trendsetter Japanese mentality kicks in, and lines still continue to form so the in-crowd can say: “Sure, I ate there…” while it was there (it’s the same reason why a Japanese tourist visits a different country every trip abroad).

CONCLUSIONS:

1. What a great way to introduce new products in Japan! Now, McDonalds can add the “Quarter Pounder” to the Japanese menu to great fanfare instead of explaining the heftier product to the Japanese (food quantity is not necessarily a selling point in Japan).
2. What a great way to leverage the cell phone culture. One wonders whether the “mystery shop” strategy would work in other cities around the world.
3. McDonalds Japan eventually got great mass media exposure from its initial buzz via a form of social media.
4. McDonalds Japan’s stunt paid for itself. Lease a storefront, cook up burgers they way they usually do, get lots of paying customers, forego the television ad buys.

Eat The Head!! - Yao Ming

What happens when you put Charles Barkley and Dwyane Wade in a Chinese restaurant and then throw in Yao and some gigantic shrimp. Comedy of course! This is the new ad for T-mobile.



EAT THE HEAD!

The Terminal 2? Japanese man makes airport home

Source: Southern Ledger

Hiroshi Nohara is on a layover at the Mexico City airport. It has lasted almost three months, and he has no plans to leave.

For reasons he can't explain, the Japanese man has been in Terminal 1 of the Benito Juarez International Airport since Sept. 2, surviving off donations from fast-food restaurants and passengers and sleeping in a chair.

At first, he frightened passengers, and airport authorities asked the Japanese Embassy to investigate why the foul-smelling man refused to leave. Now, he's somewhat of a celebrity, capturing Mexico's collective imagination with nearly daily television news reports on his life at the food court.

Tourists stop to pose with him for photographs or get an autograph.

How does this happen? A man who just lives in the airport? And is embraced by the public? I know it's a sentimental story but doesn't he have anywhere to go? And isn't the airport public property? People can't just stay there can they? If I went to the airport right now in Calgary and loitered around, I'd be arrested.

Or tasered! OUCH!

Stuff Asian People Like

I've joined the team on Stuff Asian People Like.

Here is my initial article: #101 Being or Not Being Asian

Please head over there and put in your two cents :)

World's Tallest Bridge Goes Up in China with the Help of Some Rockets

Source: Gizmodo

In China, they're currently working on the Siduhe Grand Bridge, what will be the tallest bridge in the world when completed. How tall is it? Well, let's just say that you could put the Empire State Building in the valley below it and it wouldn't touch the bridge, with a whopping 360 feet of overhead. So how do you get cables across a chasm that large to build a bridge with? Rockets, of course.

Woooow. Rockets? We'll have to see the finished product but it looks very flimsy. Would you want to be the construction guy working on this bridge everyday and looking down? Would you want to be the the person to drive across?

Scary!!

Japanese Nunchaku

What is it about the Japanese and Nunchakus!?
Here are 2 videos, ping-pong and baseball!

Imprisoned China blogger, human rights activist Hu Jia receives Sakharov Prize

Source: Boing Boing

The imprisoned Chinese blogger and human rights activist Hu Jia today received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, Europe’s most prestigious human rights prize. Snip from NYT article:

The award was a pointed rebuke of China’s ruling Communist Party that came as European leaders were arriving in Beijing for a weekend summit meeting. Mr. Hu, 35, was given the prize by the European Parliament despite warnings from Beijing that his selection would harm relations with the European Union.

Last year, Mr. Hu testified via video link before a hearing of the European Parliament about China’s human rights situation. Weeks later, he was jailed and later sentenced to three and a half years in prison for subversion based on his writings criticizing Communist Party rule.

Mr. Hu has been one of China’s leading figures on a range of human rights issues, while also speaking out on behalf of AIDS patients and for environmental protection. He had been considered a front-runner for the Nobel Peace Prize, but lost to the former president of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari. “Hu Jia is one of the real defenders of human rights in the People’s Republic of China,” said the president of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering. “The European Parliament is sending out a signal of clear support to all those who support human rights in China.

MSI unveils Neton all-in-one nettop models

Source: Engadget

Presenter:

MSI and Asus, having apparently found the bottom in the netbook race, are now working hard to find that magic point on the desktop. Asus has its B202 and all-in-one Eee Top nettops, the latter of which MSI is now countering with the new, all-inclusive Neton series. The smallest is the M16, starting at $400 and featuring a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 screen -- exactly the same size as Asus's impending offering (coincidence, surely). Then there's the slightly larger but otherwise identically spec'd $500 18.5-inch M19, and finally the range-topping $800 22-inch M22, offering an HD-loving 1920 x 1080 display fed by an optional Blu-ray drive. As you can see in pics after the break the guts of the M16 have been placed into an unsightly, over-sized stand, while on the M19 and M22 everything is tucked neatly behind the monitor itself, making for easy wall mounting (more room for Coke cans and miscellaneous clutter). No word on memory or disk space, but each will offer touch-screens and will come with XP or Vista depending on whether you opt for a single- or dual-core Atom processor. The M19 ships first in January, the M16 next in Feb, and the M22 last in March.

Males in the crowd:

Get that damn computer out of the way!

Ensuring the Future of Food in Japan

Source: The Adventures of Accordion Guy in the 21st Century

Here’s an informative and entertaining video about Japan’s food system. It’s in Japanese with English subtitles and cover the issue of food production in Japan.

Japan produces only 40% of the food it consumes and imports the other 60%, a ratio that is the lowest among developed nations. This is due to the change in the Japanese diet, which has gone from rice, fish and vegetables to what the video refers to as “meat, fat and oil”.

The video proposes very Japanese solutions: going back to more a more traditional Japanese diet, favouring food produced in Japan and for farmers to be more efficient.

A Few Muslims Angry at Korean Band Jaurim

Source: allkpop

Biography: Jaurim

It appears that some Muslims are angry at the Korean Band Jaurim because at the beginning of one of their songs they put the sound of "Adhan / Azaan." Adhan / Azaan is supposedly the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin.

Here's the video:



Have a listen (the song starts at 7:18) and let me know how offensive this is. I must say I'm totally ignorant in this topic. I would love to hear the point of view from Muslims in the comments section.

Asian Ripoff X - Video Game Edition

We've made it to TEN!

For Asian Ripoff X here are the ten worst video game renditions of popular songs. I realize that the sound chip wasn't great in the 80s but this stuff is awful!

#10 Family Feud (SNES)



#9 Raiders of the Lost Ark (SNES)



#8 Back To The Future (NES)



#7 Jeopardy (NES)



#6 Addams Family (NES)



#5 Michael Jackson (SEGA)



#4 Ghostbusters (NES)



#3 James Bond (SEGA)



#2 Star Wars (NES)



And by far the worst you'll ever see! Promise this will make you cry.

#1 ET (Atari)



Hope you're not deaf now! :)

Bao Xishun: The World's Tallest Man

TIME has a great photo essay of China's Bao Xishun, who at 7-feet-9-inches, holds the distinction of being the world's tallest man: The Tale of Bao Xishun, The World's Tallest Man.

He recently got married! The picture above is him and his wife.
A Chinese man being the tallest man in the world. Wow.

It reminds me of my favorite Chris rock line:

You know the world’s coming to the end when the tallest basketball player is chinese, the best baseball player is from the dominican republic, the best rapper is white, the best golf player is black, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, the French are accusing the US of arrogance, the Germans don't want to go to war and the most powerful people in the world names are Bush, Dick, and Colon.

First Snow! = Socks

First snowfall of the year here in Calgary.







As you can see it's still quite warm outside so it's very wet and heavy snow and nobody wants to shovel.

First snowfall means the house is colder and I have to wear socks indoors now.



Or if I don't want to get my socks dirty I have to wear my old SpongeBob slippers. I hadn't noticed until this picture but those slippers do look pretty old. I may have to go buy new ones.

Asian Ripoff IX

Faye Wong's famous Cantonese version of the Cranberries Dreams



What the heck is that she's wearing? Looks like something Bjork would wear.

The song comes from her role in the movie Chungking Express.

Name That Asian

This is old footage but It's fun to see again!
Can you name all the Asians? This is like the Asian version of Jaywalking!

Korean Edition:



Japanese Edition:



Celebrity Edition:



Don't worry. It's safe for work!

China wants to make bricks from toxic milk

Source: Yahoo!

You know they're planning another Great Wall of China. One for the southern border!

How To Draw Hello Kitty...!!

Hello Kitty seems pretty easy to draw, or so I thought. She doesn't have a mouth after all! But by watching this video, I see that there are quite a few steps.

How to Draw Hello Kitty

Make sure you have paper, pencil and a rubber!

Aluminum Cellphone

Source: Gizmodo

Here's a nice looking phone. Looks prettier than the iPhone and simpler to use. I played around with the iPhone the other day and it looked way too complex

Gong Li Is Now Singaporean!

Source: Yahoo!

And some are PISSED off about it.

"All traitors will be nailed to history's mast of shame. We should resolutely reject any further contact with such people," one person said in a chat forum on the popular portal Sohu.com.

So that means no more of Gong Li's cleavage in Chinese films.

The move requires her to forsake her Chinese citizenship, and the decision triggered some fierce condemnation of the 43-year-old star

This is the problem right here. Why does China not accept dual-citizenship?
Are there other countries with similar rules and if so why?

Futuristic Atlantis Hotel In Dubai

Source: Thels Talk

Woooooooooow

I'm speechless.
I don't like the beach or the water but I'd certainly go there!

Teaching Japan: The Living Space

Source: Darkside Dreamland

Ever wanted to teach in Japan? Want that big paycheque and that Japanese cultural experience? Here's your apartment :)

It could probably be regarded as a common fact that the average Japanese apartment is smaller than the average American apartment. The lesser known extension of this fact is that the average apartment for a teacher is smaller than the average American closet.

Shoes On A Bus

Source: I Love China

Where you live in the world ask yourself this question.
Would they let a guy with 58 boxes of shoes onto your local city transit?

In Calgary where I am, the answer is probably a resounding NO. Unless it was the weekend and the bus was really empty. People here are impatient and are always in a hurry. They wouldn't wait a few minutes to let this guy on.

60 Minutes Crew Roughed Up in China While Reporting On America's E-Waste

They're lucky they weren't shot!

Article: CBS News

The Japanese Obama!

Source: An Englishman In Osaka

There's an Obama lookalike in Japan! He flew to the US to try and meet the real Obama.

Blacks Blamed for Success of Prop 8 - And Should Be Proud Of It

It's wonderful to be blamed by losers. It means you've succeeded.
Republicans are blaming blacks for voting Obama in. So?
Blacks are being blamed for overwhelmingly voting YES on Prop 8 and helping to pass it. So?

Good! Blacks were unified in this election when everyone else was 50/50.

I remember back in Quebec during the 1995 referendum when the YES side narrowly lost.
They immediately blamed "Anglos and the Ethnic vote".

Good! Anglos and Ethnic voted in what they believed in and Canada remained united.

Losers are always whiners.

So if you're black and voted YES, be proud!
If you're black and voted NO, it hurts but don't deny the facts and blame everyone else. You have to continue fighting and educate everyone about your cause. Next time you have to target the black community more to come to your side.

As for Asians, looks like we voted right down the middle just like everyone else.

Asian Ripoff VIII

Since we're on the topic of Koreans ripping off stuff then whining about it when someone remakes their stuff.

Here's the wild and crazy Korean version of Funkytown!

Artist: Kim Hyun Jung

The Legal Complications of Oral Sex

Some of you might be thinking... what complications? Oral sex is good.
That's the attitude in North America but in some places it's still frowned upon.

Check out this article from Mr Wang Say So

Oral sex is no longer an offence in Singapore, unless it is non-consensual or it is between two male persons. Also the penalty is no longer the life sentence, or up to 10 years jail, and/or fine.

So with two girls it's ok!

Here we are in America fighting over Prop 8 and gay marriage. In Singapore there's no such debate.


But it poses a question. What the heck is non-consensual oral sex? Is that even possible? If it's rape then it's force intercourse right? I don't think the rapist would be considering foreplay while a struggle is going on.

And I don't think a man would let a women force herself upon his weenie.

So I don't think it can exist.. can it?

Remaking a Korean Show Is NOT A Bad Thing

Source: POPSEOUL

The hit MBC Drama, ‘My Name Is Kim Sam Soon,’ starring Kim Suna and Hyun Bin, will be hitting the small screen across America.

NBC procured the rights to the Korean drama to be remade into a prime time series that will air sometime in 2009.

And of course Koreans are going apeshit over it. I'm not sure what's scarier, the article itself or the comments that follow.

You guys need to chill out! It's not about you! You're not the targeted audience.

You watch remade shows on US tv all the time. Deal or no Deal, Ugly Betty, American Idol, The Office, Weakest Link (japanese).

Even old shows like Three's Company, All in the Family and Sanford and Sons were remakes.

I'm sure the originating countries of these shows aren't super thrilled about it either but they accept it and it actually helps the original show. I had never heard of The Office but now I love both the American and British versions.

When Infernal Affairs came out, I told my friend about it but they didn't bother.
the reply was "Blah, I don't like Asian films".

Then this conversation happened:

Friends: The Departed was awesome, movie of the year by far.
Me: It's a remake of Infernal Affairs, told you it was good.
Friends: really? I'll have to go check it out now.

This same conversation happened with Shall We Dance too.

And to say American has run out of idea is ludicrous. How about 24, Prison Break, Heroes, Lost, House, Fringe, Entourage, CSI on and on and on.

And as is also posted in the comments. Korea isn't exactly original. Not original at all.

The point of remakes is to open new ideas to different people. Alot of Americans would enjoy a Korean soap. But if you don't remake it, they will never see it.

So get off your high horse and be happy that American tv has time in their busy schedule to fit in your sappy dramas :)

Analysing Proposition 8

The wonderful folks at Racialicious have provided a small roundtable for discussion on the results of Prop 8.

Source: Racialicious

I think the number "70% of blacks/latinos/asians voted yes" is what's getting at alot of the NO supporters. Media is portraying it as the main reason why the Proposition passed while non-white NO supporters are denying it saying it's wasn't a factor since the population is so small.

But it does make a difference. Minorities, speaking generally, are against gay marriage. I talked to my parents this morning and they just dismiss the argument immediately. They still say: That doesn't mean gay marriage is equal to heterosexual marriage. Also, why discriminate against unmarried couples? or polygamous ones? or familial ones? If you treat them all as equal, then marriage ceases to have any objective meaning or social consequence at all. It's still traditional marriage to them.


I understand the fight on the NO side and minorities for people who are fighting for equal rights for everyone, it's a crushing blow. It is clearly not a republican or democratic issue in California. It's personal and even racial. The three on this panel have to look within their own communities if they want to make a dent in this old old homophobic attitude.

The Black vote did make a difference. You can twist it all you want that the sample is small but in a race that close, every vote counts and if one group sways one way, it'll make the difference.

If you have 30 kids in a class and there's an argument about whether to play soccer of football in this PE period. If there are 5 black kids in the class and 4/5 of them want to play football... you're playing football.

Which Laptop?

Source: BallyU Tech

This is Asian advertising. Everything has a pretty girl in it.

My dad walked by the computer when I was reading this article.
He said: "How do expect me to know which laptop to choose? They look very nice!" :)

Feeling the lack of attention due to the U.S. election LG Electronics got some pretty models together to announce a new premium notebook in the hopes of recapturing consumers attention. The new notebook is part of the XNOTE series, the P310 notebook is equipped with a 13.3″ LCD display with LED back light, and is available in a lovely black rose detailed aluminum finish. Under the hood the P310 rocks an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 3GB of DDR3 memory/2GB ‘Turbo Memory’, and a massive 320GB HD. Graphics are supplied courtesy of a NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT.

Alphabet Meme

I've been challenged!

Thanks to Anh Khoi for sending this to me.

In this game, which started here, you pick your favourite movie for each letter of the alphabet. Afterwards, you tag people to do it.

A: Animal House

B: Better Tomorrow, A

C: Cinderella Man

D: Dark Knight, The

E: Enter The Dragon

F: Few Good Men, A

G: Gladiator

H: Hotel Rwanda

I: In The Mood For Love

J: Jurassic Park

K: Killer, The

L: Lost in Translation

M: Matrix, The

N: Ninja Scroll

O: Once Upon a Time in China

P: Princess Mononoke

Q: (haven't seen one)

R: Raging Bull

S: Shrek

T: Transformers

U: Unforgiven

V: V for Vendetta

W: Walk The Line

X: X-Men

Y: Young and Dangerous

Z: Zatoichi

Now I challenge

Russ

Gabe

Derek

Rochelle

Chris

Obama, Japan

There's a town in Japan called Obama.

Guess who they're cheering for? :)

Riding From Singapore To Thailand

Source: Pedal! Damnit!

Hardcore cyclist Ben, from the blog, Pedal! Damnit!, recently completed his first 1000km unsupported solo bike ride from Singapore to Thailand via the East Coast of Malaysia, during the month of Ramadan.

To be exact, he rode 1021.6 km (638.5 miles) and climbed 2195 m (7200 ft), for 14 days, on his fully loaded 1991 Bridgestone MB-3 bicycle.

I'm tired just reading about it. Looking at some of the pictures looks like he got hurt along the way too. Make sure you check out each day. Some of the pictures taken are visually stunning.

Asian Ripoff VII

Hey! Who's the tall good looking guy at the beginning of this clip!?

*drool*

This is way back in 1986. Looks like it won some sort of award! I've heard this ripoff for years but still have no idea what the original is. Any help would be appreciated!

Language: Cantonese
Artist: George Lam

Chinese Dumplings

Foooooood!

If you're looking for a Chinese Dumpling recipe, I found one.

Source: Noodles and Rice

Ingredients:

1/2 kg (1Lb) pork mince (ground pork)
1/2 Kg (1 LB) Shredded Chinese cabbage
200g (1/2 Lb) Dumpling pastry

Sauce: *
8 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 Tspb Rice Vinegar
2 tsp Sesame oil

* You may change proportions according to your taste.
Directions
Step: 1 Mix pork mince and Chinese cabbage together and wrap with dumpling pastry. Boil for 15 minutes.
Step: 2 Mix sauce ingredients to make dipping sauce.

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm *drool drool*

A School on a Cliff

Source: Ananova

The school in Gulu village, Sichuan province, lies halfway up a mountain and climbing up from the base takes five hours.

The elementary school has only one teacher who has been there for 26 years, reports the West China City Daily.

Villagers say going to school is very dangerous for the children, since the path is only 1ft 4ins wide at the narrowest point and has a sheer drop on one side.

Walking along the narrow, zigzagging path also makes the children feel dizzy, they say.

This is pretty stupid. How can a country like China not doing anything about this. Build the kids another school! On some level land! In Canada, parents complain and attack the school board of education if the school is in another neighbourhood let alone on a frickin mountain!

Rain's Magic Stick

Source: Fighting 44's

I see that Rain's new song Rainism is causing some controversy.

My magic stick is spinning in your shivering body. You can’t go beyond my body shake. Make it Rainism The Rainism. Feel my body.

Of course in an entertainment industry where and on-screen kiss is a BIG DEAL, this
will of course stir up some debate.

As you all know, I'm part of the Jay Chou shrieking fanbase so I hate Rain. All of Rain's songs sound like the same crap.

Happy Birthday Hello Kitty!

Source: Crave

Believe it or not, Kitty White (aka Hello Kitty), has been aging along with the rest of us, and Saturday marks her 34th birthday. Judging from her look, however, it seems the alternately much-loved and much-reviled feline icon hasn't really grown up much and is still an appropriate representation of childlike cuteness.

To help celebrate this occasion, Sanrio Digital has organized a week-long in-game celebration in the Hello Kitty Online massively multiplayer role-playing game. The event includes a series of quests and events, including an in-game guild contest that lets players convert online efforts into real cash donations for charity.

That sounds like fun! Let's all go try this out and make a character!

http://www.hellokittyonline.com